Overtaking etiquette

Bigcheeze

On my way in to work through a residential area and the car in front indicates and slows to make a right turn, so I slow to about 20 kph, keeping up with the car until it makes its turn and then start to accelerate away. Then I notice the Octavia that was me behind me is level with me trying to overtake me, but it can't because I'm accelerating away.

Anyway after a few seconds I backed off the accelerator as it's not worth causing a serious accident over. When I was younger I probably wouldn't have backed off.

So what do you do ? I know the rules of the road say don't accelerate while being overtaken but wtf! I was accelerating before the Octavia started to pass.

After she passed me, she drove at normal speed as I was right behind her for the next few km's until she undertook another car in the bus lane.

enda1

Sounds like you did nothing wrong.

djimi

If you knew that you were being overtaken why did it take you a few seconds to back off the throttle?

Bigcheeze

djimi wrote: »

If you knew that you were being overtaken why did it take you a few seconds to back off the throttle?

There was a moment of "Wtf is going on" and a moment of "do I let this twat away with this. "


Why, what would you do ?

djimi

Slow down. This idiot wants to create a dangerous situation for both of you then you do whatever it takes to get it over with as quickly as possible. "Do I let them away with it" is the last thing that should enter you mind; why on earth would it even cross your mind to prolong a dangerous situation any longer than it has to be?

Kenny Logins

Slow down, let her pass, and continue your journey behind her. High beams on all the way.

Tails142

Keep driving as normal, she's the one driving on the wrong side of the road

stakey

Similar issue the other morning, though the driver in the wrong lane nearly caused a serious accident and was lucky the road ahead of me was clear.

Driving to work, I'm at the top of a junction in the lane marked to go forward. Traffic lights are red, 3/4 cars queued up behind me. Four or five in the left turning lane to my left. Lights go green I move off, check mirrors etc. Guy in left lane moves off slowly. No indication either of course.

Then decides to tear up the inside and try undertake me to the point of being literally inches from my left hand side. I see him and the lane of parked cars he's about to drive into and accelerate above the speed limit to let him duck in behind me.

As I was driving at the limit when he decided to barrel in on my lane even slowing down a fraction based on how close he was to the parked cars would've resulted in a three car collision.

I'm pretty pissed as I've been forced into exceeding the speed limit in a built up area where there's lots of schools etc. Luckily the driver behind sees this idiot and had enough space to back off. Result? 5 minutes of flashing lights and tailgating for the bother.

corktina

not your prob OP, the guy dropped one seriously not realizing the guy in front of you was turning off by the sound of it.

movingsucks

I had something similar happen I was driving in the left of two lanes, doing the speed limit and the fast lane was coming to an end so a few people decided to over take me at the last minute before the lanes merged. By the time the fourth one was about to go past there was nowhere left for him to go, he had to slow down pretty sharpish.
I was pretty scared because I thought he was going to end up in the back or side of me!

enda1

movingsucks wrote: »

I had something similar happen I was driving in the left of two lanes, doing the speed limit and the fast lane was coming to an end so a few people decided to over take me at the last minute before the lanes merged. By the time the fourth one was about to go past there was nowhere left for him to go, he had to slow down pretty sharpish.
I was pretty scared because I thought he was going to end up in the back or side of me!

Run movingsucks! Run while you've still got time!

Chris_Heilong

dont follow the rules of the road blindly either, if you get into a situation do what ever is the safest thing to do, in this case slow down and let the other car pass you which is what you did.

movingsucks

enda1 wrote: »

Run movingsucks! Run while you've still got time!

*runs like hell*

Blazer

movingsucks wrote: »

*runs like hell*

slow day in here today....any other day and it would be like wolves after sheep

goz83

stakey wrote: »

Similar issue the other morning, though the driver in the wrong lane nearly caused a serious accident and was lucky the road ahead of me was clear.

Driving to work, I'm at the top of a junction in the lane marked to go forward. Traffic lights are red, 3/4 cars queued up behind me. Four or five in the left turning lane to my left. Lights go green I move off, check mirrors etc. Guy in left lane moves off slowly. No indication either of course.

Then decides to tear up the inside and try undertake me to the point of being literally inches from my left hand side. I see him and the lane of parked cars he's about to drive into and accelerate above the speed limit to let him duck in behind me.

As I was driving at the limit when he decided to barrel in on my lane even slowing down a fraction based on how close he was to the parked cars would've resulted in a three car collision.

I'm pretty pissed as I've been forced into exceeding the speed limit in a built up area where there's lots of schools etc. Luckily the driver behind sees this idiot and had enough space to back off. Result? 5 minutes of flashing lights and tailgating for the bother.

Sounds like he wanted to undertake you. You both drove dangerously there. You should have eased up, dropped the ego and let the little muppet go ahead.

The OP situation was different, in the sense that the other driver was overtaking, on a road, with a clear view ahead. In your situation, there were oncoming cars, or cars in the other drivers way when you accelerated, leaving him no other option than to hope there was enough space behind you, to slip into the correct lane. Not agreeing with the other drivers actions, but yours were just as dangerous and aggressive.

stakey

goz83 wrote: »

Sounds like he wanted to undertake you. You both drove dangerously there. You should have eased up, dropped the ego and let the little muppet go ahead.

The OP situation was different, in the sense that the other driver was overtaking, on a road, with a clear view ahead.

I'd agree and in most cases when someone behaves aggressively I'm happy to let them drive on and back off, saves the bother of a repair bill and insurance headache.

In this case, yep, he wanted to undertake but gave neither himself or myself any room to do so. We're talking a small number of metres here to reduce speed to say 25/30 which would've caused me to run into the back/side of him and him on to the parked car and likely caused a rear crash into me from traffic behind.

Definitely may have looked aggressive but in hindsight we were all lucky.